Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on President Obama’s Joint Session Address to Congress on his jobs agenda and the President’s remarks today urging Congress to pass clean extensions of the Surface Transportation Bill and the FAA Reauthorization:

“I welcome the President’s speech before a Joint Session of Congress next week to discuss the critical issues of putting more Americans back to work and getting our fiscal house in order. While Republicans have yet to put forth a comprehensive jobs plan, I look forward to hearing President Obama’s ideas and to working with him to implement the Democrats’ Make It In America plan to revitalize our economy and get more Americans back to work.

“The President also made it clear today that he is committed to creating jobs and improving our economy by strengthening our nation’s infrastructure. I urge Congressional Republicans to work with us to pass clean extensions of the Surface Transportation and FAA bills--free from ideological policy riders or anti-worker provisions.

“We should not repeat the political brinksmanship we saw so much of this summer and quickly put these jobs bills on the floor.”